Twenty states and Washington, DC, sued the Trump administration on Monday, alleging that it is improperly withholding hundreds of millions of dollars meant to help victims of crimes in order to force states into cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts.

The states, all of which have Democratic attorneys general, are asking federal judge to strike down the conditions the Justice Department has established to receive the grant money, which are used to help crime victims with things like medical bills, funeral costs, counseling, emergency shelter, crisis hotlines and legal support.

If the threats came to fruition, the states allege, states would be forced to choose between fully cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, or having to scale back or shut d

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